


The Bell Tower

by DaisyFairy



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Bells, Established Relationship, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Sexual Content, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 13:18:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13571364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaisyFairy/pseuds/DaisyFairy
Summary: John tries to surprise Sherlock on Valentine's day. Unfortunately things don't go quite to plan, but the boys known how to make the best of it.Written for the Sherlock Challenge February 2018 prompt - MidnightAnd the Hiatus Challenge February 2018 prompt - Valentine's Day.





	The Bell Tower

It is 11:25 on Valentines night and John is leading a blindfolded Sherlock by the hand up a rickety wooden staircase. He carefully guides Sherlock around every corner as they make their way up the tower, the last thing he wants is for the two of them to end up in a heap at the bottom.

“I know where we are.” Sherlock declares, John just rolls his eyes and shifts the heavy bag he is carrying in his other hand.

“I just don’t know why we are here.”

John laughs and murmurs, “Hush you.” but doesn’t stop their ascent.

A few minutes later and they have reached the top. John pulls the blindfold off and declares proudly, “Taadaa!”

“Yes, the Elizabeth Tower, as I said, I knew where we were going.”

John frowns, looks at the large clockwork surrounding them and the clock faces that they can see in reverse from the inside of the tower, “No. It’s Big Ben, Isn’t that obvious?”

Sherlock shakes his head, “No, Big Ben is the....fine, yes, this is Big Ben. Why are we here?”

John smiles, “It’s Valentine’s day, well just about. I was a bit worried we wouldn’t get out of the Yard in time to make it. I know this is one of your boltholes, I don’t know how you get in though, it was a nightmare, I had to ask Mycroft to help in the end. Anyway, I thought a romantic picnic to celebrate our first Valentine’s would be nice.”

Sherlock hugs him and kisses his forehead, he can’t help but grin as he looks down into John’s eyes.

“This isn't one of my boltholes. I just told Mrs Hudson that once to stop her asking where I’d been.”

“Oh.”

Sherlock uses a sing song teasing tone to ask, “Do you know why it isn’t one of my boltholes?”

John shakes his head.

Instead of answering Sherlock looks pointedly up at the clock mechanism that is slowly drawing hammers back from the four quarter bells hanging above them around the main bell. Sherlock slowly raises his hands to cover his ears, and nudges John with his elbow until he follows suit. 

Click, click, click, the hammers draw back further, the large hands on the clock faces shudder then move to the half-past position, the hammers are let loose, and the whole world is filled with a clanging, vibrating, wall of sound that seems to want to shake the teeth out of their heads as the quarter chime is sounded.

When it is finished they cautiously lower their hands. John looks crestfallen.

“I thought..” he starts, but can't hear himself over the ringing in his ears. He tries again, shouting this time, “I thought it would be romantic, let just go.”

Sherlock shakes his head and yells back, “No, we've 24 minutes left of Valentine’s Day, and I don't intend to waste it traipsing across London.”

He pulls two pairs of ear plugs out of his coat pocket, hands one pair to John, and proceeds to put his ones in.

John gapes at him for a second, then grumbles under his breath as he puts his own ear plugs in, safe in the knowledge that Sherlock’s hearing is just as shot as his is, “You could have given me these before my ear drums got perforated you prat, and how did you know you would need them anyway?”

Ear plugs safely in and Sherlock sets the picnic aside then kisses John, softly at first, but quickly turning harder and more desperate as he swiftly tackles John’s buttons to remove his shirt.

\---

When the next quarter bell sounds they are naked, lying together on Sherlock’s coat spread over the floor, kissing and stroking they barely notice the sound.

By the time the louder main bell sounds midnight it is almost painful even with the ear plugs, but Sherlock is too busy flat on his back with John thrusting into him to complain. Every time the hammer strikes it feels as if the whole world is vibrating. They take full advantage of the bone shaking noise to give full voice to their passion as they reach their peak. With no danger of elderly landladies or small children, or indeed anyone, overhearing Sherlock screams himself hoarse and John urges him on until he too reaches his climax with a shout.

As the last vibrations fade away John collapses onto Sherlock and kisses his neck, nuzzling in and holding tight. Sherlock squeezes him back and then gently pulls the plugs from John's ears.

“Let’s go now, my bones feel like jelly, and I don’t think my ears can take any more.

They giggle as they hurry to dress, and race down the stairs with their picnic to continue their celebrations at home.

**Author's Note:**

> As Sherlock knows and John does not, Big Ben is the name of the main bell, the tower it is housed in is officially called The Elizabeth Tower (but everyone really just calls it Big Ben).


End file.
